The Bot Who Cried Decepticon
by Prime627
Summary: Red Alert's anxious and paranoid. He's always crying "Decepticons are attacking" and Inferno's the only one who can get him to calm down. But when Red Alert is damaged and still crying "Decepticon!", the Autobots are forced to consider something else...who is torturing their mech and why?
1. Chapter 1

**The first time I recieved this request:** _ **Um... I do have a suggestion for a story... I've looked around and I've yet to find too many Red Alert sparked/sparkling stories...**_

 _ **Of course... There isn't that many Jolt stories either,**_ **I literally copied and pasted that onto a sticky note and (I have the Seekers on my computer wallpaper) put three sticky notes over their..."junk" (even though there was nothing to be seen XD) and put the request on the sticky note covering Thundercracker's stuff and put** _ **Do not life**_ **on the other two XD Just to freak my mom out. Anyway, that was probably not a story you guys wanted to hear. But I copied the request, put in on Thundercracker and went to bed.** _ **But**_ **, I also plan the fics you guys request with pen(s) and paper. I kid you not, I wrote** _ **First Aid**_ **instead of Red Alert, and I got a good portion of the First Aid story done and when I went to take a look at the sticky note, I paled.** _ **Red Alert**_ **XD I wanted to cry. So I deleted the First Aid story (it wasn't even going where I wanted it to! {Probably because I had the wrong character -_-}) and now I'm starting over with the paranoid Red Alert. XD Primus. What a good way to start the morning, eh?**

Red Alert ran through the halls, screaming _Decepticons are attacking! Wake everyone up! This is not a drill!_

To Red Alert's complete amazement, no one got out of their berths. While he stewed over that, he was quickly surprised by Inferno, who touched the mech's shoulder.

"It's three in the morning, Red. Not even the Decepticons get up this early."

"I know what my readings say, Inferno! Don't you trust me?"

Inferno sighed and rubbed his helm. So far, he was the only one who could get through Red Alert's paranoia and find whatever logic was buried in his processor. So the Autobots nominated him to take care of the mech, physically, mentally, and emotionally. "We're all safe, Red. You probably spooked the Decepticons. They weren't expecting you to be awake this early."

Red Alert just stared at him, but nodded and accepted that story. It was better than trying to haul Optimus out of the berth to take a look around and _maybe_ find tracks which Optimus would have Percy scan and then the microscope mech would say that _Bambi_ had stopped by for a visit when Red Alert was _sure_ it was Starscream!

"Now, let's get you all tucked in and-"

"But-"

"No 'but's, Red, I'm tired, you're tired, Optimus is sick and tired of waking up at ridiculous times..." He scooped his friend up into his arms and walked him down to his own quarters. "Now go to sleep."

"But the Decepticons..."

"If it makes you feel any better, I'll check it out myself, okay?" Inferno stroked his helm and watched him lay down into what he hoped was a peaceful recharge. Then he got up and walked around outside. A deer fawn was curled up in the grass, its eye studying him and deciding whether he was a threat or not. "Hello, little Bambi. You've scared my friend badly. I think we'd all appreciate it if you hurried on home now, mm?"

The fawn remained, but Inferno predicted that the doe that foolishly put her baby here wasn't too far off. He walked back into base and nearly tripped over Red Alert.

"Did you find any Decepticons?"

"Red, what are you...?" Inferno sighed and tipped his helm back. "I thought I told you to go to sleep."

"Which Decepticons were there?"

"Bambitron. Now go to berth now."

"Is he a new one?"

"Berth, Red!" He herded him into his quarters and tucked the littler mech into the blankets and sheets. Then he shut the door and walked back to his own quarters, flopping down onto his berth. He sighed and fell into a deep sleep.

 **ooo**

 _Decepticons are attacking! Get up! Wake up! Come on, guys! I'm serious!_

Inferno got up and glanced at the clock on his nightstand. "Six thirty, Red... Three hours and a half of sleep, Red. How do you have the energy, Red?" He got up, still mumbling. That was before he saw Red Alert.

"INFERNO!" Red Alert ran to him as best as he could, his leg damaged and his arm appeared to be broken as he clutched it to his side with his not-so-good arm. "Inferno, there are Decepticons!"

Inferno's optics widened when Red Alert took a tumble forward and he caught him, holding him close. "No kiddin', Red." He looked up. "RATCHET! Ratchet, come on! Ratchet!"

The medic wasn't interested in what Red Alert was crying about, but he was awake instantly when Inferno joined in the crying. He ran into the hall and cursed at the pair sitting in the middle of it, one damaged and the other looking ready to scream.

Optimus and Inferno waited outside the MedBay. Everyone else was told to go back to sleep for three more hours since they were robbed of it during the night. They couldn't argue and it wasn't as if they wanted to. They knew Optimus would have pity and would probably give them a few more hours to sleep on top of the three he already permitted them.

Ratchet waved the two mechs in. "He's fine now, but I don't want him moving around." He looked at Red Alert. "You've gone too far now, Red Alert. You have to stop this."

"Wait," Inferno said, a grin pulling at his lips for no reason. He was even laughing. He couldn't believe this! "You think Red did this to himself? Ratchet, come on..."

"His damage was done by _practiced digits_."

"You honestly think that Red did this to himself? Ratchet, aren't you the brains in this MedBay? Why would Red purposely injure himself?"

Ratchet crossed his arms. "To get attention, Inferno. That's all he wants, attention."

Inferno glared at the medic, then looked up at Optimus. "What do you think, Prime? You think Red could have hurt himself this way?"

Optimus looked over at Red Alert. Three pairs of optics were on him now and he moved so the bandages covering half his face would muffle his speech. "The Decepticons...they ambushed me."

"Honestly," Ratchet muttered.

Optimus shook his helm in a sad way. "Red Alert is obviously in need of repair. Until we check things out, I do not know how to approach this. Inferno, come with me. Can you carry Red? I will need him to show us where he was attacked."

Inferno walked to his partner, touching his helm. "Think you can do that, Red?"

"I have to! You guys think I'm lying," he said and he buried his face into his chest when Inferno lifted him off the berth.

Red Alert directed the Prime outside of the base, Inferno walking behind him. "Right there, Prime."

Optimus knelt and sifted through the grass, sighing and lifting up pieces of Red Alert. "Looks like there was, in fact, a brawl here..."

"I told you!"

"But there are no pieces of your attacker, Red Alert. Are you sure you were attacked here?"

"Of course, Prime!" Red Alert squirmed to be set down, but Inferno held him close, saddness in his optics and he looked at Optimus.

The Prime gave a slight nod and Inferno hesitated before he nodded back.

Red Alert was placed in a back room which was used to keep Decepticon prisoners. It had padded walls from when they had Ravage in there and he was determined in slamming his shoulder into the wall to cause injury for the medics to have to treat him. There was one window facing the sky in case they had Seeker prisoners who went mad if they couldn't see the sky. And Red Alert was placed smack in the middle of that room.

Inferno turned his helm away and stared at Optimus. "I will find evidence to prove he's not crazy."

Ratchet came up to them before Optimus could reply. "Optimus, I did several scans of Red Alert and I just got the results processed."

Optimus held up an index digit to Inferno, letting him know their conversation wasn't over. "Go on, Ratchet."

"Red Alert lost a lot of Energon, sustained damage around his face, chest, and hips, he's dripping Energon from pretty much everywhere and...the most disturbing result..." Ratchet turned the scanner around so Inferno and Optimus could see. "Optimus, he's carrying."

Inferno crossed his arms and glared at the Prime and the medic. "Still think he could have done this himself?"

Optimus looked at the back room and his shoulders dropped. Ratchet lowered the scan and sighed, walking away with his own shoulders lowered.

"I think Red Alert's due for an apology, don't you?"

 **Ha! This is turning into** _ **Sparked**_ **, so I'm going to skirt around that plot line and jump into a different area. What if they never find out who attacked Red Alert, aha...and what if they learn why Red's so anxious all the time? Stay tuned!**


	2. Chapter 2

Inferno held Red Alert, looking into his chamber as he sighed. He stroked his helm slowly. "I'm sorry this happened to you."

"I told you that there were Decepticons around."

"So you did," he murmured and he smiled down at him. "And we didn't believe you."

Red Alert huffed and turned away. "No, you didn't." He sat up and his optics widened. "DECEPTICON!"

Inferno looked up to see Ratchet walking in. "Close, but no."

"I've ran tests on the sparkling, and there hasn't been a match yet, but Teletraan is still running for matches."

Red Alert rolled over onto his belly and yawned, settling down slightly before he lifted his helm back up and looked at the door. Optimus was walking in.

"I am sorry to wake you, Red Alert. How are you?"

"Carrying," he snapped. He tumbled off the berth, keeping it always between Optimus. He obviously didn't forgive Optimus.

Inferno pushed the Prime back with his pede at the same time as he leaned over to snatch Red off the ground. "Come on. You're being ridiculous."

"They put me in the padded room! And they didn't believe me! But you did, Inferno. You always believe me." He pressed his face into Inferno's neck, nuzzling under his chin. He purred loudly.

Inferno sighed and he stroked his helm. "That's right, Red..." He looked over at Optimus and Ratchet, both having guilt like film in their optics.

Optimus knelt by the berth, keeping Inferno between them. "Do you know who attacked you?"

"A Decepticon," Red Alert growled. "A big nast Decepticon..."

"There are a lot of Decepticons, Red Alert. Do you know which one?"

Red Alert watched him for a long time before he shook his helm and sighed. "He attacked me from behind and blindfolded me and gagged me while he...did things."

Inferno bared his denta and growled lowly. He should have _been_ there for Red Alert, but instead he was sleeping. He was sleeping while Red was raped and forced to carry scum. "We'll find out who got you carrying, Red, and then we'll punish him."

The mech nodded and laid his helm down, curling up against his friend while Inferno stroked his helm in a soothing way.

Optimus watched this with curious optics. "Have you considered bonding with him?"

Inferno's helm snapped up. "What?"

"Claiming him as your mate."

"Why would I want to do that, Optimus? We're in the middle of the war."

Optimus sighed and he put his helm down on the berth as he collected his thoughts, then he looked up at him. "I was merely suggesting that you could bond with him to keep him calm just by sending calm over the bond, and you would also know just who attacked Red Alert."

"Perhaps I don't want to know what happened to him. If I bond with him, I would get his memories, and I would not only get the good, but the bad. Optimus, Red's been through scrap and back."

Optimus waited for an explaination, but he didn't get one. So he got up and went to Teletraan. "Have you found a match yet?"

"None," the computer said as it still flipped through everyone's data.

Optimus sat down at the computer and watched all the profiles go through before it reached the end.

"No matches."

"There must be-"

"No known matches."

The Prime sighed and nodded. He had to tell Inferno something, so he padded down the hall to see the mech still cradling Red Alert. "Teletraan came up empty. No known matches."

"I didn't think so," he said. "No one knows who been attacking and terrorizing our Red."

"Do you?" He looked at him.

"I know what he looked like, vaguely, when he was on Cybertron, but now that he's on Earth? No. I don't even know his name. I just know that he and Red were close and it was before Red was paranoid. Apparently the mech threatened him and Red's wary about any Decepticon because, well, apparently the mech could take the physical appearance of anyone."

"That sounds...far out." Jazz had joined them. He touched Red Alert's helm and knelt by Optimus. "He's knocked out, huh?"

"He's been through a lot." Inferno stroked his helm and he brought the mech's helm against his lips.

Red Alert merely groaned and rolled over, pressing his face into Inferno's chest.

"So I heard." Jazz elbowed Prime. "We should keep him in Inferno's quart-"

Red Alert sat up, his optics wide. "DECEPTICON!"

Jazz ran out, beating Optimus to it. He came back moments later. "Just a fawn."

"There's been a fawn out there every time Red's freaked," Inferno said. "Maybe Red's getting bad readings from his scanners?"

Optimus shrugged. "Nothing is working right on this planet. Earth is...a strange place, and fawns are strange little creatures. I can see why they would bother Red Alert. They are not like minicons at all, or any Cybertronian."

Inferno nodded and he sighed, looking down at the squirming and whimpering Red Alert.

"He's back to get me! You have to keep him away from me! He'll hurt me again if you let him get close."

"Easy, Red. No one's gonna hurt you, not while you're here with us."

Red Alert nodded and looked at Jazz and Optimus. "Okay...Just keep him away from me."

Jazz knelt by him again, nodding. "We will, Red, we will. You'll see."

When the mech was asleep, Jazz and Optimus left to stand guard in front of the MedBay. For several minutes, it was very quiet, and then there was the sound of hooves scrabbling on metal and Optimus left his post to investigate.

A fawn was laying on its belly, staring at the slight incline is shock while it struggled to its feet. Optimus nudged its rump with his pede and helped it out of the _Ark_. "You should stay to your own environment, Bambi," he said softly, using the fawn's nickname it earned from the crew. He watched it bound to the side of its waiting mother and he walked back to Jazz.

When Jazz heard what had been out there, he rolled his optics. "Fawns," he muttered and he went back to leaning against the wall. "Think Red's tellin' the truth about that mech?"

"We cannot explain his situation any other way," Optimus said as he sighed.

"But a mech that can take the physical form of anyone?"

The two mechs looked each other up and down.

"What was I called before I was Optimus Prime and what were we?"

"You were a dataclerk, I a reporter. You were Orion Pax," Jazz answered. "What did we always order after work?"

"Visco."

At the same time, they muttered, "You are you."

"I don't think I could bring myself to shootcha even if ya were an imposter."

Optimus laughed softly. "I am not sure I could shoot you either, Jazz...I would probably miss."

"You've been leader fer how long and ya still can't shoot straight?"

"I am _working on it_."


	3. Chapter 3

Red Alert woke up against Inferno. He nuzzled the mech before he got up and walked out of the room. He wanted to go for a drive. He didn't think that the others would mind. After all, he thought bitterly, they were getting _sick and tired_ of him raising alarms.

He walked outside and sat under the stars in the grass, rubbing his chest. The sparkling was squirming and paddling its pedes. They were making soft knocking sounds against his chestplates and he laughed softly, opening them to take a peek at the sparkling with blue optics and red and white armor. It kind of looked like him...

"Well, hello, my little Red Alert..."

That was when Red Alert started to scream.

Inferno, Optimus, Jazz, and Prowl ran out to see the red and white mech screaming and sobbing as he clutched the grass and howled for Inferno, a rabbit hopping away as fast as it could from the screaming mech.

"Easy, Red, easy...it's just Thumper..."

Red Alert cried into the grass. "He tried to attack me again..."

Jazz couldn't hide his grin at the thought of the rabbit attacking the mech. "The rabbit, Red? I think you need to go inside and-"

When Inferno lifted Red and saw that there was a puddle of Energon under him, the red mech laid the other mech on the ground and blinked at his chest. The word _Mine_ was carved deep into his chest. Inferno checked the sparkling. It was staring at Inferno with wide optics, its pede bleeding blue. Inferno reached in and stroked the sparkling's helm with a digit.

Optimus lifted Red Alert up and carried the mech inside. "Ratchet! We need bandages!"

"Again?" The medic came out and hesitated when he saw his chest. "What happened?"

"Well, either Thumper has killer aim and a surprising vocabulary, _or_ Red's mech came back," Jazz said, helping the mech lay down. "And the sparkling has a cut pede."

"I'll patch them up. You all have to go out and _find_ this blasted mech _if_ there is one."

Inferno gaped at him. "You still think that Red's making all this up!"

"All I'm suggesting is that it's a possibility!"

"Why would Red try to kill himself? And his child! Why would he, Ratchet? Are you suggesting he's trying to offline himself for _attention_?" Inferno growled and grabbed Red Alert as soon as the medic was finished. "I'm taking Red back to my quarters. I'll keep him safe and I'll keep the sparkling safe when it is born. Anyone is welcome to visit if they believe that Red isn't faking."

Optimus watched the two mechs leave and he looked at Ratchet, who was cleaning the medberth. "You think he is faking?"

"Why else would he be doing this, Optimus? I'm just thinking logically. Now, if First Aid was getting hurt, then I'd worry, but Red Alert screams an alert every morning and every afternoon and every evening. I'm beginning to not take so much stock in what he says, Optimus, and if you were in my shoes, you would, too."

Optimus sighed. "Maybe, but _something_ is doing this to Red Alert, and I want to know what and why."

Ratchet sighed as well and he patted the Prime on his shoulder. "Okay, Optimus...you waste your time, and I'll use mine."

Red Alert whimpered, rubbing at the bandages on his chest even as Inferno swatted at his servos. "He's going to get me, Inferno, and no one believes me!"

"It's okay, Red...I'm here, but you have to stay in here so Thumper and Bambi don't call Flower."

The mech wailed. "This isn't funny, Inferno."

"I know, Red, I know...I'm just scared, that's all," Inferno said as he stroked his helm. "I'm scared of the things I can't shoot and kill and be done with."

Red Alert sniffled and he cuddled into him. "I bet you can kill the rabbit and fawn... They keep _terrorizing_ me."

"I'm sure they think you're carrying a carrot or something, Red. Just calm down and go to sleep, mm?" He tucked the red and white mech against his own red armor and he stroked his helm again. "I know you'll be okay now. I don't keep fawns and rabbits in my room, and I don't make a habit of taking skunks in here, either."

Red Alert giggled softly and he closed his blue optics. "Mmm...you're being silly, Inferno."

"Am I?" The mech watched his partner go to sleep, then he laid his own helm down.

Meanwhile, Optimus was walking around the _Ark_ when he stumbled across a fluffy bundle of white and black fur with a fluffy striped tail. He groaned and drew his cannon, putting the safety on as he prodded the skunk. "Go out and play with Thumper...go on..."

The skunk lifted its tail, making Optimus dive out of the way, but it was only to get up and waddle out of the _Ark_. Optimus sighed and he walked up the incline to watch the skunk go back into the forest. Then he ordered Hoist and Grapple to study the design of a _child gate_ and make one big enough to keep the characters of the movie _Bambi_ out, which included additional research until the two finally understood.

Dark red optics watched from the forest while the knee-high gate was put up in front of the _Ark_ 's entrance. Then they closed and the ferns rustled as they sprung back into their former position.


	4. Chapter 4

Inferno held Red Alert's sparkling in his servo, smiling down at the little mechling. Red Alert wanted to see it, but Optimus was cradling him and was waiting until the mech was looking stronger before he would let Red sit up and snatch the sparkling away from his partner like the protective carrier he would become.

The sparkling was still, but it was blinking around and purring in a happy-go-lucky way that Jazz was confused. "You'd think it'd be runnin' away when it sees its shadow, but nah. He's happy just to sit 'round and stare up atcha, huh?"

Inferno laughed softly at the thought and he tickled the sparkling's pede. He squealed in delight and Red Alert fought in Optimus' arms.

"Let me see it...let me see it!"

Optimus released the mech and he watched Red Alert crawl slowly onto the berth to peek down at the sparkling, his optics wide.

"It's a mechling, Red...Here, hold out your servos...There, like that. Here you go...There..." Inferno adjusted his servos, smiling as the sparkling squealed up at his carrier. "What are you going to call him, Red?"

Red shrugged and smiled down at his creation. "He needs a name, doesn't he...?" He stroked the little one's helm, smiling. "I guess I'll call him..."

The lights turned out. Optimus kept everyone calm as he got up. The sound of hooves striking the floor made Jazz groan.

"Bambi? What does he want?"

Optimus walked out of the room, smiling at the fawn as it staggered down the hall. "Hello, little Bambi..." He walked to the little fawn, stroking its helm. It opened its mouth...and displayed jagged teeth. "What the...?" He screamed and it was too late.

Jazz stood up. "That sounded like Optimus."

Inferno looked down at Red Alert, who was whimpering loudly. "Go and investigate. I'll stay with Red Alert and the baby."

Jazz nodded and he walked into the hall, seeing Optimus' pedes disappear around the corner as if he was being...dragged. He followed the pedes, frowning at the black form holding the knocked-out Prime. "Oh, hello...whatcha doin' with my friend there?"

"The same thing I'm going to do to you, my dear..."

And everything went dark.

Inferno was getting worried. He tucked Red Alert into the closet and he stroked his helm. "Let's play hide-and-seek, huh? Be quiet now. Shhh..."

Red Alert smiled and did the same. "Shhh..." He then curled up around his sparkling, who went quiet as if he knew it was important for him to be silent. Then Inferno left them.

Jazz was tucked in a storage closet. He was the first Inferno found. Optimus was stashed in the Energon storage room, but whoever attacked them was unclear.

Then Inferno stumbled across the fawn. He hesitated. The fawn was acting strange, sitting up straight like a dog might while watching its master eat. He walked closer.

"So, you've figured it out, have you, my dear?" The fawn's body bent and folded until a dark mech stood in the hall. "I was expecting you to run up and snuggle me like your Prime did."

Inferno glared at him. "Who are you? Amalgamous?"

The mech turned and laughed. "So you _do_ know your history...No, my name is Makeshift, his grandcreation." He smirked and he tipped his helm. "Now, where is my creation?"

Inferno shrugged. "Red Alert didn't survive the labor. Neither did the baby. They're probably six feet under our pedes by now."

Makeshift smirked, flashing jagged denta. "You're lying...very good. I am impressed, but not fooled."

Inferno glared at the mech, stiffening when he heard a familiar voice.

"Hello, Makeshift!"

Red Alert stood at the end of the hall, the sparkling in his arms. He waved his servo at the dark mech, giggling softly.

Inferno watched Makeshift walk slowly down the hall. He hoped Red knew what he was doing.

"How are you, my dearest mech?"

"Have you seen your creation, Makeshift? I should have known it was you."

He smirked as he laughed. "But you didn't..."

"I did, in the end, I did." He held out the sparkling, which squealed in delight at his sire. "I called him Skyburst..."

Before Makeshift could grab the sparkling, Red Alert backed up, set the sparkling on the floor and he attacked Makeshift, knocking the sparkling up as he shrieked and he ran towards Inferno. "I got him! I got him!"

Inferno held Red Alert close, smiling a bit. "You did, Red...you did it." He chuckled and walked to the sparkling, scooping him up. "Skyburst, huh?"

"Do you like it?"

"I love it."

Red Alert smiled and looked at the end of the hall where Ratchet was standing, staring at Makeshift's body.

The medic looked at Red Alert in shock. "I guess I owe you an apology, Red Alert..."

The mech grinned up at Inferno. "Will you guys believe me now?"

Inferno chuckled and stroked his helm. "Maybe, if your stalkers will leave you alone during the night!"

Red Alert giggled. "It was just Makeshift..." He smiled and held his sparkling close after Inferno gave him to him. "So far, that is..."

The taller mech chuckled and pulled him into a hug. "I hope he's the last. I need my sleep. We all do."

 **Done! X3 Now I'm going to work on a story about Megatron and Arcee, the latter becoming the former's queen. Sound good? I've got that request and another to look into XD I'll be busy! Hope to have the stories up soon! Thanks for reading!**


End file.
